Chen Ming

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Chen Ming (陈鸣)
Alias(es)	Gu Xianyu; Yuan Ziyi; Lord Gu
Species/Race	Human
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Chen Family; formerly associated with Huo Manor; Six Doors under the identity of Gu Xianyu
Occupation/Role	Martial artist, martial instructor, sparring partner, Six Doors official
First Appearance	2

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Ungraded martial artist	5	Used system points to raise the Iron Horse Stance to its Second Realm and the Three Powers Fist to Proficient.
Level 4	8	Raised the Three Powers Fist from Proficient to Mastery through accumulated points.
Level 9	14	Invested 1,000 points into the Iron Horse Stance, reaching its Fifth Layer.
Ninth Rank	22	Revealed his breakthrough after perfecting the Iron Horse Stance; simultaneously raised the Bagua Saber Technique to Mastery and defeated Guan Peng.
Eighth Rank — Internal Strengthening Realm	42	His breakthrough drew visitors to the Chen Estate; he shared his insights on the realm with Deng Ziyang and Zhuang Xiaotian.
Seventh Rank	56	Broke through amid growing family and business responsibilities.
Sixth Rank	91	Revealed his advancement to Zhao Xiyan after learning the Vermillion Bird Swordplay.
Fifth Rank	134	His breakthrough became the dominant topic in Qingfeng City and brought a flood of congratulatory visitors.
Fourth Rank	191	Had already reached Fourth Rank when entering the Tomb of Immortality, surpassing Deng Ziyang despite the latter's demonic cultivation.
Third Rank	191	Broke through during the conflict in the tomb, gaining the strength to contend with higher-ranked opponents using the Mingfeng Sword.
Second Rank	239	Successfully broke through while operating under the Yuan Ziyi disguise and gained two million experience points.
First Rank	298 306	Reached First Rank before confronting a black-robed enemy; later considered himself nearly invincible among First Rank cultivators.
Yang Spirit	309	Survived lightning tribulation, gained enhanced Divine Sense and the capacity for his spirit to leave his physical body.

Background and History

Chen Ming’s relationship with his elder brother, Chen Rui, was originally strained. After their father’s death, Chen Rui inherited the estate, cut off Chen Ming’s martial-training funds, and arranged for him to work at Golden Source Commerce. Chen Ming resented him and rarely returned home. When Chen Ming was imprisoned, however, Chen Rui exhausted himself arranging the withdrawal of the Jin Family’s complaint and securing his release, prompting Chen Ming to reassess their bond 2.

His original aptitude was considered extremely poor. Ordinary training produced no visible progress in the Three Powers Fist, forcing him to depend on a system that converted experience points gained from defeating opponents into cultivation and martial-skill progress 3 5. He built experience through work as a sparring partner at Huo Manor, teaching youths, and repeatedly seeking stronger opponents 3 19 46.

After Huo Chengkun’s death, Chen Ming continued to expand his standing in Qingfeng City. He taught students, pursued the establishment of a martial hall, defended the city during pirate unrest, and developed a reputation for challenging martial artists in pursuit of combat experience 31 43 52 94. His rapid advancement elevated the Chen Family’s wealth, influence, and social status 76.

Chen Ming later left Qingfeng City in secret after mastering disguise techniques. In Dai Prefecture, he freely challenged local martial artists for experience before eventually returning home under the guise of a traveling merchant 111 112 118. His cultivation and swordsmanship subsequently carried him to Jiangzhou City and the Azure Cloud Rankings, where he defeated Luo Xu and Li Yuqi and became recognized as the sixth strongest member of Jiangzhou’s younger generation 151 155.

Following the events surrounding the Tomb of Immortality and the Undying Demon Lord, Chen Ming adopted the identity of Gu Xianyu to evade pursuit. Under this identity, he entered the Six Doors, acquired higher-level sword arts and divine weapons, and continued pursuing cultivation resources, prisons, mystic realms, and powerful opponents 197 198 239 260.

Appearance

Chen Ming is a tall, handsome young man with a composed and heroic bearing. When confronting the Crimson Sea Gang, he appeared in blue clothing with sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes, remaining calm despite being surrounded 133.

• Frequently carries a sword, especially after abandoning the saber as his principal weapon 99.
• Can alter his height, build, facial structure, and appearance with a secret disguise art 111.
• Has operated as the disguised Gu Xianyu and Yuan Ziyi 197 239.
• His true energy can shift between extreme yin and extreme yang qualities after forming the Two Forms True Art 110.

Personality

Chen Ming is intensely pragmatic about cultivation. He deliberately seeks sparring partners, analyzes the limits of his techniques, and treats every fight as an opportunity to gain experience or improve his skill. His willingness to challenge people repeatedly has earned him a reputation for bullying weaker opponents, though he frames this approach as learning from many martial arts rather than relying on lineage or sect support 79 94 112.

Despite his ruthlessness toward enemies and opportunism in battle, he is protective of people under his care. He organized civilian patrols during Qingfeng City’s pirate crisis, took responsibility for students, gave Li Jinchuan a place to return to, rescued Qiuxiang and Dongxiang from abuse, and repeatedly prioritized the safety of his family 52 87 155 178.

He is also guarded in personal relationships. Chen Ming avoids binding himself to sects or marriages prematurely, keeps critical plans secret from even his family, and relies heavily on disguises when enemies could exploit his identity 92 111 260.

Abilities & Skills

System-Based Advancement

Chen Ming possesses a system that awards experience points for defeating opponents and allows him to invest those points directly into cultivation methods and martial skills.

• Can raise martial arts proficiency and cultivation without conventional training time 5 14.
• Defeating stronger opponents produces greater experience rewards 46 141.
• Leveling up restores his true qi to peak condition, allowing him to continue fighting after exhaustion 175.
• His rapid advancement has made his actual combat strength difficult for others to judge 102 171.

Cultivation Arts

Chen Ming began with the Iron Horse Stance and later acquired increasingly advanced body-forging and true-qi methods.

• Perfected the Iron Horse Stance and Three Yang Body Forging Art 22 91.
• Cultivated the Six Yang Qi Cultivation Art, later identified as part of the Blazing Sun Divine Skill 91 95.
• Merged the Taiyin Sutra and Six Yang Qi Cultivation Art into the Two Forms True Art, allowing his true qi to shift between extreme yin and extreme yang 110.
• Merged the Profound Wood True Art into his existing methods, strengthening his true qi and enabling greater use of the Mingfeng Sword 163.
• Obtained the Profound Martial God Art inheritance through the Great Yue Sword 245.
• Can use Profound Wood qi to save and heal others, though doing so pushes his cultivation toward its limits 175.

Swordsmanship

Swordsmanship became Chen Ming’s primary fighting style after he concluded that saber techniques did not suit his temperament 99.

• Vermillion Bird Swordplay — Learned from Shang Jianfei; Chen Ming invested heavily in it until reaching Great Accomplishment 91 141.
  • Defeated Su Zhinning in a swordsmanship-only duel after thirty moves 153.
  • Its pure-yang compatibility makes it especially effective with his cultivation art 141.
• Lonely Swan of Heaven and Earth — A Gu Family first-rate sword art suited to Third Rank and above 198.
  • Filled a major gap in his swordsmanship after he assumed Gu Xianyu’s identity 198.
  • Reached a mastery level sufficient to pressure First Rank opponents 262.
• Sword Intent — Comprehended the process of condensing Sword Intent through a spiritual jade sword 121.
  • The Mingfeng Sword absorbed the Sword Intent, restoring part of its divine-weapon power 164.
  • His Sword Intent and divine weapons allow him to threaten opponents above his nominal realm 169 194.

Saber and Fist Arts

Before specializing in swordsmanship, Chen Ming developed formidable saber and fist fundamentals.

• Three Powers Fist — A basic Heaven, Earth, and Man fist art that Chen Ming pushed to Mastery and later Great Accomplishment 3 8 91.
• Bagua Saber Technique — Reached Mastery before Chen Ming’s Ninth Rank breakthrough and later Great Accomplishment 22 91.
• Five Elements Saber Technique — Used to defeat Li Ankun during the martial-hall trials 43.
• Thunderbolt Saber Technique — Received from Zhao Xiyan as recognition of his saber talent 68.

Movement and Concealment

Chen Ming combines exceptional footwork with extensive deception techniques.

• Nine Heavens Phoenix Dance — A high-level light-body technique.
  • Reached mastery after half a month of training 140.
  • Its rapid directional changes let him evade and defeat stronger Fourth Rank opponents 171 172.
  • At perfection, it helps make him nearly unbeatable among First Rank cultivators 306.
• Disguise Art — Learned from a secluded master thief 110 111.
  • Alters his face, height, muscle shape, and build.
  • Allows him to maintain multiple identities, though extreme physical changes can affect movement and force output 111.
• Harmony and Dust — A concealment secret technique taught by an old Daoist to evade Divine Treasury Realm Divine Sense 295.

Spiritual Abilities

After advancing beyond the standard martial ranks, Chen Ming gained spiritual capabilities.

• Formed a First Rank Yin Spirit and learned to perceive threats through it 295 306.
• Achieved Yang Spirit after surviving lightning tribulation 309.
• His Yang Spirit grants enhanced Divine Sense and the ability to leave his body 309.
• Can temporarily draw on external power to reach Divine Treasury Realm-level magical power for roughly thirty breaths 298.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Mingfeng Sword — A fire-compatible divine sword gifted by Jade Begonia. It increases Chen Ming’s swordsmanship power and later absorbs Sword Intent, restoring part of its spiritual power 155 164.
• Great Yue Sword — A peerless divine weapon through which Chen Ming received the Profound Martial God Art inheritance 244 245.
• Chongming Sword — A sword connected to Chongming Golden Flame; Chen Ming used it while temporarily wielding Divine Treasury Realm-level magical power 298.
• Mysterious Soul Pearl — Refined using Xu Tianyu’s blood; can cultivate a physical body and serves as Chen Ming’s decisive weapon against Divine Treasury Realm experts 315 320.
• Celestial Master Robe — A supreme defensive treasure capable of resisting Divine Treasury Realm attacks; includes the Lightning Escape Technique 310.
• Silver disguise ornament — Borrowed from Xia Peony; can conceal the wearer’s appearance even from Divine Treasury Realm experts 231.
• Zhuang Family Flying Daggers — Chen Ming raised this hidden-weapon art to Great Accomplishment and can use ricocheting throws such as Chasing Stars and Moon 30 91.

Relationships

• Chen Rui — Elder brother. Their former resentment faded after Chen Rui secured Chen Ming’s release from prison; Chen Rui later trusted him with major family decisions and business matters 2 37 99.
• Wei Shi — Sister-in-law. She welcomed Chen Ming home after his imprisonment and remains a supportive member of the household 2 119.
• Huo Chengkun — Former martial instructor and master figure. Chen Ming sought his help after prison and continued to honor his connection to Huo Manor after Huo’s death 3 30.
• Deng Ziyang — Friend and frequent martial companion. They discuss cultivation, spar together, and repeatedly support one another despite Deng’s later involvement with the Blood Demon Sect 17 105 191.
• Zhuang Xiaotian — Friend and Six Doors contact. He provides intelligence, helps Chen Ming obtain identities, and remains loyal despite suspecting Chen Ming’s involvement in dangerous incidents 110 137.
• Li Jinchuan — Former Huo Manor student and Chen Ming’s student. He lived with the Chen Family, regarded Chen Ming as Senior Brother, and left for Jiang Province with Chen Ming’s support 56 87.
• Zhao Xiyan — Zhao Shouchang’s daughter and a close associate. She gave Chen Ming the Thunderbolt Saber Technique, repeatedly warned him about danger, and has complicated feelings toward him 68 91 126.
• Su Zhinning — Heavenly Path Alliance disciple. She sparred with Chen Ming, became interested in his swordsmanship, and developed a deep bond with him after he risked his cultivation to save her 153 175.
• Jade Begonia (Yu) — A powerful and enigmatic ally. She gave Chen Ming the Mingfeng Sword, exchanged cultivation methods with him, and later publicly claimed to be his betrothed after reports of his death 155 163 196.
• Xia Peony — Chen Ming’s ally and later wife under his Gu Xianyu identity. Chen Ming helps her pursue vengeance, while she provides him with a powerful disguise treasure and shows intense concern for him 210 229 231.
• Chunxiang and Xiaxiang — Loyal maidservants who trained under Chen Ming, protected his seclusion and estate, and assisted his secret departure from Qingfeng City 33 111 118.
• Qiuxiang and Dongxiang — Maids rescued by Chen Ming from Jade Begonia’s punishment. They became trusted attendants and sources of information 155 164.
• Princess Mingyu — Royal ally who rescued Chen Ming while he was disguised as Yuan Ziyi and later traveled with him to Qingfeng City 239 256.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Qingfeng City Rise

• Escapes prison after Chen Rui arranges the Jin Family’s withdrawal of its complaint 2.
• Returns to Huo Manor as a sparring partner and begins exploiting the system to advance 3 6.
• Reaches Ninth Rank, masters the Bagua Saber Technique, and begins defeating established martial artists 22.
• Pursues the right to open a martial hall and publicly overturns the Martial Hall Guild’s imposed trials 42 43.
• Builds a reputation through teaching, sparring, protecting civilians, and defeating rivals across Qingfeng City 45 52 94.

Sword Cultivation and Azure Cloud Rankings

• Learns Vermillion Bird Swordplay from Shang Jianfei after becoming unable to inherit the sect’s martial arts 91.
• Changes from saber to sword as his primary weapon 99.
• Secretly leaves Qingfeng City, gathers experience in Dai Prefecture, and returns under disguise 111 112 118.
• Travels to Jiangzhou City, enters the Azure Cloud Rankings, and defeats major competitors including Luo Xu and Li Yuqi 141 151 155.
• Receives the Mingfeng Sword and rescues Qiuxiang and Dongxiang 155.

Tomb of Immortality and False Identity

• Returns toward Qingfeng City with Su Zhinning and Jade Begonia out of concern for his family 178.
• Enters the Tomb of Immortality, advances through Third Rank, and becomes entangled with the Undying Demon Lord 191 226.
• Is presumed dead after saving Jade Begonia in a cave, while Su Zhinning vows revenge 196.
• Assumes Gu Xianyu’s identity to avoid being hunted as a possessed cultivator 197.
• Acquires the Lonely Swan of Heaven and Earth sword art, joins the Six Doors, and continues his advancement through Xia Province 198 260.

Higher Realms and Divine Treasury Conflicts

• Breaks through to Second Rank while operating as Yuan Ziyi 239.
• Obtains the Great Yue Sword and the Profound Martial God Art inheritance 244 245.
• Reaches First Rank, forms a Yin Spirit, and learns techniques to evade Divine Treasury Realm detection 295 306.
• Temporarily accesses Divine Treasury Realm power to defeat a Level 110 opponent 298.
• Survives lightning tribulation to achieve Yang Spirit and gains access to greater spiritual abilities 309.
• Uses the Mysterious Soul Pearl to annihilate six Divine Treasury Realm experts 320.

Notable Quotes

“Good things are meant to be shared with friends.” 88

“I can only resort to being polite before resorting to force.” 95

“A true man should learn unparalleled divine techniques, roam the world with a three-foot sword, and meet all the heroes of the world.” 148

Trivia

• Chen Ming’s original aptitude was considered so poor that ordinary practice barely improved his techniques 3 91.
• He originally specialized in saber arts before deciding that swordsmanship better suited his temperament 99.
• His system’s level-up mechanic completely restores his true qi, a hidden advantage he uses in prolonged combat 175.
• The Mingfeng Sword actively warns him when hostile Divine Sense approaches 163 170.
• He has studied medicine under Doctor Sun, though medical knowledge does not appear on his system panel 143 163.